The European Commission (EC) decided this Friday not to extend beyond today the vetoes imposed on Ukrainian imports of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower, which could not remain in the national markets of Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia since early May and could only pass through those five states if their final destination was another country.
However, Ukraine has committed to taking measures to prevent further import surges.
Brussels specified in a statement that the vetoes on the four Ukrainian products, in force until next midnight, will expire today and will not be renewed.
In addition, Ukraine has agreed to introduce “any legal measures,” including, for example, an export licensing system, within 30 days to prevent surges in grain arrivals.
Until these initiatives are in force, Ukraine will apply from next Saturday “effective measures to control the export” of the four cereals “with the aim of avoiding any market distortion” in its neighboring countries belonging to the European Union (Poland, Romania , Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary).
Kiev will have to present an action plan, at the latest, at the end of the working day next Monday, at the coordination platform that brings together the European Commission, Ukraine and the five EU member states close to the former Soviet republic. , a platform where the problems arising from the rise of Ukrainian imports are addressed.
The European Commission and Ukraine will also monitor the situation within the framework of the coordination platform “to be able to react to any unforeseen situation.”
“The European Commission will refrain from imposing any restrictions as long as Ukraine’s effective measures are in force and fully functioning,” said the Community Executive, who assured that the distortions in the markets of Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia “have disappeared.” ”.
In early May, the European Commission agreed to demands from Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary to halt imports of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower from Ukraine, which as a result of a war-motivated agreement were free of tariffs. .
The five countries complained that the massive arrival of Ukrainian agri-food products was distorting local markets and harming farmers, who could not compete with the prices of goods from Kiev.
Thus, since May, it has been prohibited for the four Ukrainian agri-food products to remain in those five EU countries and be sold in their national markets.
However, they can cross the territory of Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia if the final destination is another member state of the community club or a third country.
The ban will be in force until September 15, so it will expire next midnight.
Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Romania had announced that they would maintain the ban, while Bulgaria announced that it was renouncing restrictions.
